[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4883 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4883

   To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to terrorism 
          against animal-use entities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 21, 2004

  Mr. Graves introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to terrorism 
          against animal-use entities, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Terrorism Against Animal-Use 
Entities Prohibition Improvement Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. TERRORISM AGAINST ANIMAL-USE ENTITIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 43 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) so that subsection (a) reads as follows:
    ``(a) Offenses.--
            ``(1) Physical disruption.--Whoever--
                    ``(A) travels in interstate or foreign commerce, or 
                uses or causes to be used the mail or any facility in 
                interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of 
                causing physical disruption to the functioning of an 
                animal enterprise; and
                    ``(B) intentionally damages or causes the loss of 
                any property (including animals or records) used by the 
                animal enterprise, or conspires to do so,
        shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).
            ``(2) Economic disruption.--Whoever--
                    ``(A) travels in interstate or foreign commerce, or 
                uses or causes to be used the mail or any facility in 
                interstate or foreign commerce, for the purpose of 
                causing economic disruption to an animal enterprise; 
                and
                    ``(B) intentionally uses threats, acts of 
                vandalism, property damage, trespass, persistent and 
                harassing communications, intimidation, or coercion, in 
                furtherance of a plan to cause economic disruption to 
                that enterprise, or conspires to do so,
        shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``6 months'' and 
        inserting ``1 year'';
            (3) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``Major economic 
        damage'' and inserting ``Significant economic damage or 
        economic disruption'', by striking ``causes economic damage'' 
        and inserting ``causes economic damage or economic 
        disruption'', by striking ``exceeding $10,000'' and inserting 
        ``exceeding $10,000 but not exceeding $100,000'', and by 
        striking ``3 years'' and inserting ``5 years'';
            (4) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) of subsection 
        (b) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively;
            (5) in subsection (b), by inserting after paragraph (2) the 
        following:
            ``(3) Major economic damage or economic disruption.--Any 
        person who, in the course of a violation of subsection (a), 
        causes economic damage or economic disruption exceeding 
        $100,000 to an animal enterprise shall be fined under this 
        title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.'';
            (6) in subsection (b)(5) as redesignated above, by striking 
        ``and imprisoned'' and inserting ``and shall be punished by 
        death or imprisoned''; and
            (7) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as 
                paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) the term `economic disruption' means losses and 
        increased costs that individually or collectively exceed 
        $10,000 to that enterprise. Economic disruption does not 
        include any lawful economic disruption that results from lawful 
        public, governmental, or animal enterprise reaction to the 
        disclosure of information about an animal enterprise;''.
    (b) Communication Interception Authority.--Section 2516(1)(c) of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting before ``section 
201 (bribery of public officials and witnesses)'' the following: 
``section 43 (animal enterprise terrorism),''.
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